New Call for China to Free U.S. Scholar Min Zin, Detained Since June– chinadigitaltimes.net
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EXCERPT:
A statement from the Forum 2000 Foundation and International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR)—of which CDT founder and editor-in-chief Xiao Qiang is a member—adds to widespread calls for the release of Burmese democracy advocate Min Zin, a U.S. citizen. Min Zin was detained in Kunming on June 3 after traveling to China for a conference; soon after, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that he was being held on suspicion of “engaging in espionage activities that endanger China’s national security.” The U.S. State Department formally designated Min Zin’s case as one of wrongful detention in late August, and President Donald Trump told reporters he had raised it during Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington the following month.
From the Forum 2000 Foundation and ICDR:
The International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR) and Forum 2000 Foundation are deeply concerned by the wrongful detention of Min Zin, a prominent democracy advocate and independent scholar, in China.
On June 3, 2026, Min Zin, a United States citizen, was detained upon arrival at the airport in Yunnan province after traveling there on invitation of a Chinese university for an academic workshop. He has since spent over one hundred days in criminal detention at an undisclosed location investigated on spurious allegations of espionage and endangering China’s national security. Since his wrongful detention, there has been little information regarding Min Zin’s condition, access to legal counsel, or any evidence supporting the allegations against him. On August 20th, the United States government formally designated Min Zin as wrongfully detained.
China’s detention of Min Zin is an affront to international norms and standards and sends a chilling message to those in our community who uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and the open exchange of ideas.
